Flow-measuring apparatus.



G. H. GIBSUN.

FLOW MEASURING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 5. 19I4.

Patented Aug. 31, 1915.

l D D INVENTOR GEORGE I-I. GIBSON, OF IVIONTCLAIR. NEW JERSEY,ASSIGNOR`TO JOSEPH S. LOVERING- IVI-IARTON, WILLIAM S. HALLOWELL, ANDJOHN C. JONES, ALL OF PHILADELPHIA,

PENNSYLVANIA, TRADING WORKS.

UNDER THE FIRM-NAME 0F HARRISON SAFETY BOILER FLOW-MEASURING APPARATUS.

ll.ll52,3IO.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3f, 1915.

Application filed September 5, 1914. Serial No. 860,477.

To all 1li/Lam it may concern.'

Be it known that I, GEORGE a citizen of the United States residing inMontclair, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Flow- Measuring Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a truc and exact description, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, which form a part thereof.

My present invention relates to combined liquid heating and measuringapparatus of the type in which the water is heated in an open feed waterheater and is measured by being passed from the heater through a weirmeasuring chamber.

The object of my invention is to provide simple and effective means forpreventing the weir tank or chamber from being flooded, by the continuedsupply of water thereto at a time Whenthe normal discharge from the Weirtank is closed. This is objectionable, because it results in a lfalseshowing of the liquid passing throughthe tank, and is objectionable forother reasons. A difliculty of this sort has been heretofore experiencedfrom the continued influx into the heater of water of condensationreturns from heating coils in installations where these returns are notcontrolled, although the main supply of water to the heater iscontrolled by means responsive to the height of liquid level on theoutlet side of the Weir.

The ch araoteristic feature of my invention is the provisions which Ihave made for diverting the water passing to the heater from the returnsor otherwise in excess of the amount of water being withdrawn from theheater into the usual float trap provided with the heater to dischargethe drip from the oil separator employed in steam supply connection tothe heater.

The various features of novelty characterizing my invention are pointed.out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part ofthis specification. For a better understanding of the invention,however, and of the advantages possessed by it, reference should be hadto the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter, in which I haveillustrated and described the best forms of my invention now known tome.

H. GIBSON, of America,

0f the drawings: Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a combined openfeed water heater a d weir meter embodying my present invention. Fig. 2is an elevation of a modified form of apparatus; and Fig. 3 is anelevation, partially broken away and in section, of anothermodification.

In the drawings, and referring first to Fig. 1, A represents the tankinclosing the heating and measuring chambers of a combined open feedwater heater and weir measuring device. In the heating chamber A arelocated the usual splash trays B, onto which the water to be heatedoverflows from the trough C. Water is passed into the trough C throughthe supply pipe D. The flow of water to the heater through the pipe D isregulated by the valve D.

represents a pipe for passing heater returns into a trough A8 locatedwithin the heating chamber; the Water entering the trough A8 normallyoverflowing into the heating chamber proper and mixing at the lower endof the latter with the water falling off' the splash trays B. The steamfor heating the water admitted to the chamber A is supplied through thepipe F, which is vconnected tothe `heating chamberthrough the usual oilseparator G.

G represents the usual float tra receiving the oil drip from theseparator and discharging this drip into the waste pipe G2 whenever theliquid level in the receiving chamber of the trap G rises high enough sothat the float Gr4 opens the valve Gr3 A represents a channel throughwhich Water may pass from the tank A into the chamber G when the waterlevel in the tank A is raised to skim ofi' the impurities Heating on thetop surface of the water.

The heating chamber A is separated from the weir chamber by thepartitions A2 and A3, which, as shown, are spaced apart to provide apressure equalizing connection A4 between the steam space of the heatingchamber and the steam space of the weir chamber. The weir chamber isdivided into an inlet compartment A5, and an outlet compartment A, bythe partition I-I, which is provided at its upper edge with the usualweir notch or notches H The valve D in the cold water supply pipe D isopened and closed as the water level in the outlet compartment A8 fallsbelow or rises to a normal working level, which may be that indicated bythe line l, by means of a float J.

A7 represents the oultlet for measured water leading from ,the outletcompartment A to a boiler feed pump or other means of or place forutilizing or disposing of the measured Water passing through theapparatus.

I represents mechanism for indicating, integrating or recording the flowthrough the Weir chamber, this mechanism being operated by a float I',which, as shown, Works in a float chamber I2 located within thecompartment A6, but connected by the pipe I3 to the inlet compartmentA5, so that the height of liquid level in the float chamber I2 is thesame as in the compartment A5.

In so far as above described., the apparatus shown in Fig. l 'is similarto that noviT in general use. With such apparatus the continued iniuX ofwater into the heater, through the returns pipe E, has sometimesresulted in flooding the Weir chamber at times When no discharge throughthe nrmal outlet passage A7 is permitted. This flooding of the Weirchamber causes the measuring apparatus I to show a maximum or high rateof liquid flow at a time When no measured liquid is being Withdrawn fromthe apparatus. -Inasmuch as the floodi ed condition may prevail forseveral hours at a time, as where the discharge connection A7 is closedfor several hours each night, it is highly desirable to providesatisfactory means for obviating this false measurement of the rate offlow through the apparatus.

This I accomplish With the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 by providing aby-pass pipe K leading from the bottom of the trough A8 to the floatchamber Gr. A valve L in the pipe K is normally closed, but is opened topermit the returns to pass from the trough A8 into the tank G on apredetermined rise in the height of liquid level in the outletcompartment A6 of the Weir chamber. The operating means for the valve Lcomprises a float M, which opens and closes the valve L accordingly asthe liquid level in the compartment A0 rises to and falls below apredetermined height, Which' may be that indicated by the line 2.

The apparatus shown in Fig. 1 is intended for use Where, as isfrequently the case, the returns comeback hot enough so that it is f,unnecessary to pass them over the splash trays B. Sometimes the returnscome back at so 10W a temperature, that it is advisable to deliver theminto the cold water trough C of the heater so that they will run overthe trays B and be heated. In this case I may connect a by-pass pipe KAfrom the trough C to the float chamber G', as shown in Fig. 2. The valveL in the by-pass KA is controlled by a Hoat M, as in Fig. 1. In Fig.

2, EA represents the connection for the returns or other auxiliary watersupply; for instance. this may convey cold returns from a vacuum pump tothe trough C. The arrangement shown in Fig. 2 possesses the advantagethat it not' only disposes of the water entering the apparatus throughthe auxiliary supply pipe EA when the valve D is closed and no water isbeing withdrawn through the outlet A7, but it also takes care of leakagewhich may occur from time to time through the valve D.

In the arrangement shown in Fig. 3, a port A1 is formed in the wall ofthe trough A9 below the lowermost level of flow over the weir, and thisport is controlled by the pivoted valve member O, which is connected toand operated by a fioat MA located in the outlet compartment of the weirchamber. The float MA moves the valve O to open and close the port A onchanges in water level in the compartment A, similar to those causingthe iioat M to open and close the valve L in the constructions shown inFigs. 1 and 2. When the port A10 is opened, the water level in the tankA at the supply side of the partition H is lowered to the level of theport A10. With the apparatus shown in Fig. 3 it is obvious that therewill be no danger of flooding the apparatus, either by water admittedthrough the returns connection E or through the pipe D, or by Waterformed in the heating chamber by condensation of the steam entering thelatter through the pipe F.

When from time to time it becomes desirable to raise the Water level inthe tank to cause water to flow over the top of the trough A into thetrap G and skim off impurities, this may readily be accomplished bysimply holding the valve D open against the action of the ioat J withthe construction shown in Fig. l, and with the constructions shown inFigs. 2 and 3 by keeping the valves L or O closed while keeping thevalve D open.

While in accordance with the provisions of the statutes, I haveillustrated and described the best forms of my invention now known tome, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that changes may bemade in the forms of apparatus described, without departing from thespirit of my invention, and that under some conditions certain featuresof my invention may be used without a corresponding use of otherfeatures.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A combination open feed water heating and Weir measuring apparatus,having a heating chamber, a steam supply connection thereto including anoil separator, a float trap for disposing of the drip from theseparator, water supply means for supply- 1,152,310 .zal

ing water to the heating chamber, a Weir chamber divided into inlet andoutlet compartments with a Weir between them, said Weir and heatingchambers being connected and so relatively arranged that the normal pathof water from said supply means is through the heating chamber into saidinlet compartment and thence over said Weir into said outletcompartment, and in combination therewith means responsive to the heightof water level in said outlet compartment for diverting water passing tothe heater away from said normal path and into said trap on apredetermined rise in said height of water level.

2. A combination open feed water heating and Weir measuring apparatushaving a heating chamber, a steam supply connection thereto including anoil separator, a oat trap for disposing of the drip from the separator,means supplying water to the copies of this patent may be obtained forheater to be heated including a trough in the upper portion of theheater into which Water is discharged and from which it normallyoverfiows, a Weir chamber divided into inlet and outlet compartmentswith a Weir between them, said inlet compartment and heating chamberbeing connected and so relatively arranged that the water from theheating chamber normally passes into said inlet compartment and oversaid weir, and in combination therewith a drain pipe leading to saidtrap from said trough, and means responsive to the height of water levelin and closing said pipe as said water level rises to and falls below apredetermined height.

GEORGE H. GIBSON. Witnesses WM. B. CAMPBELL, ROBERT G. CLIFTON.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.C.

said outlet compartment for opening

